1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to inventory control in a manufacturing environment. More specifically, this invention relates to the management of parts that are used to make a unit functional, but are not included with the shipped production order.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many production environments, it is common to have interchangeable or “alternate” parts. When one of a group of alternate parts is required by a production order, any of the group may be used to satisfy the production demand. For example, three versions of 2 GB memory cards may exist in inventory, all three are functionally equivalent, and so any of the three are allowed to fulfill demand for any one of the three. The use of alternate parts is also extendable to “proxy” part demand. Proxy parts are used to temporarily make a nonfunctional unit or production order into a functional unit, such that process steps requiring the order to be functional, such as test, can be completed. Before the production order is shipped, proxy parts are removed and returned to inventory to be reused or sold as seen fit.
Upon creation or release of a new product, some basic features are identified as legitimate for a customer not to order. For example, a computer will not function properly without memory. However, some customers would like to buy the computer without memory since they can obtain memory from a separate source. When such a production order is received, a configuration system identifies the need for some proxy feature. In this example, memory must temporarily be added so the computer can function, and therefore can be tested or have software loaded and configured. The proxy feature is defined in a bill of material, which contains at least one proxy part. Just as with non-proxy parts, any available alternate part may be used to fulfill demand for this proxy part. Once the proxy part has fulfilled its purpose, it is removed from the unit.